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IAF cadet’s death: Awaiting final autopsy report, say police
Bengaluru police probing the death of a cadet at Bengaluru’s Air Force Technical College said that they are awaiting the final autopsy report on the death.
Bengaluru police probing the death of a cadet at Bengaluru’s Air Force Technical College (AFTC) said that they are awaiting the final autopsy report on the death.
A senior official supervising the probe said that viscera samples were received at the police station on Monday and they have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).
The 27-year-old air force cadet was found hanging in his hostel room on Wednesday. The police suspected it to be a case of suicide after a seven-page note was recovered from the hostel room that allegedly named six people — including an air commodore, a group captain and a wing commander. The family of the deceased, however, alleged that the cadet, who was upset after being discharged from service following a disciplinary enquiry, was murdered. Based on the family’s complaint, murder has been registered.
“We have received an initial autopsy report as of now. We still need a complete report, which we will get following the FSL report,” said deputy commissioner of police (DCP), North, Vinayak told HT.
When asked about the investigation, the DCP said that police are collecting statements from those who were with cadets before the event. “We are yet to question the suspects mentioned in the FIR. We haven’t taken the documents regarding the case from the Air Force since the inspector in charge of the investigation was on bandobast duty,” he said.
On Sunday, the IAF initiated a Court of Inquiry in the matter.
“A Court of Inquiry by IAF is underway to establish the circumstances leading to the death of the UTFO,” the official statement read, adding the IAF is cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the police on the matter.
The under-trainee flying officer had joined the force in February last year but his training was terminated on September 20 for “misconduct” based on an investigation into a complaint against him by a woman trainee officer, the IAF said in a statement, condoling his death.
“It had been established that the UFTO had committed certain acts of misconduct. The inquiry proceedings were duly examined at multiple levels before being approved at the air headquarters, as per established procedure on the subject,” the IAF said.
The family, particularly the brother of the cadet, alleged in his complaint that attempts were made to tamper with the evidence as people from the AFTC were present around 4.30 am on Saturday at the police station with a piece of evidence he was also looking for. However, the police denied these claims.
A senior police officer, who is part of the investigation, said that AFTC was cooperating in the probe. “Air force officials have handed over the suicide note and two mobile phones of the victim to our station. It doesn’t look tampered with, but we are getting it tested by the FSL,” the officer said, requesting anonymity. “We are also told that the officers will be available for questioning when required.”
